It has been thirteen years since I started arbitrating disputes for the Better Business Bureau of Dayton, Ohio, issuing binding written decisions on automotive lemon law and commercial disputes brought against local merchants. I began this as training; to see what it was like to be a judge, to sit on the opposite side of the bench.

What issues would I be most interested in when deciding disputes between contending sides? I'm naturally a detail oriented attorney. I discovered that details are important, but only if they add to, or subtract from, key elements of the issues being contested. In other words, details must be relevant to deciding the key elements of the dispute. If they are not, then they add little or nothing to deciding the issue. As an advocate for my client's interests, these are what I focus on with a laser beam. Otherwise I risk losing the attention of the judge. My job is to keep him focused on what are the key elements needed to prove my version of the dispute, and thus win the day. A sporting analogy would be, keep your eye on the ball!

Spotting those key elements begins with the potential client's first consultation. From those discerned key elements, a strategy is already taking shape. How to approach and present the client's position for the best effect. This core strategy will be amplified and expanded, perhaps modified along the way, as new facts or circumstances develop, but it all starts at the first consultation.

What I learn in these BBB arbitrations: asking probing questions designed to reveal facets of those key elements, discerning what is important, what is not, and then ranking their importance in an overall strategy, is applied to each client's unique problem in my law practice.

Today it was American Honda that received my focused attention. Do you have a problem that concerns you, which begs you to get more attention, is legal in at least some aspect, and nags at you to address it? Don't ask your neighbor, your uncle who lives in Kentucky, or a friend who once had a legal problem five years ago. Call me today and schedule a legal consultation. It may be the best time, and money, you ever invested. I'm here to help.

Merchant Scoring is a handy way for searching customers to quickly find high quality, active and attentive businesses within the MC network.

With Merchant Scoring, MC businesses are ranked on a scale of 0-100 (100 being the BEST) based on the quality of their reviews & ratings, blogs, social influence (such as facebook "likes") and other relevant activity.

MC business in the top 50th percentile--those with a score of 50 or higher, are awarded TOP MERCHANT. Remember we have over 15 million local business listings, so this is kind of a big deal.

Another deplorable fact: The U.S. ranks 68th among the world's nations in the affordable delivery of civil legal services. One must wonder when America lost its way. Every nation that you can think of does a better job.